Healthy Screen Habits Podcast

Episode: Encore: Healthy Screen Habits Workbook for Tweens and Teens
Host: Hillary Wilkinson
Guests: Amy Adams & Jeannie Andalacy Sprague
Date: March 11, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode introduces and explores the new "Healthy Screen Habits Workbook for Tweens and Teens," a resource designed to help families guide adolescents toward positive, empowered, and research-based screen use. Host Hillary Wilkinson and co-authors Amy Adams (school social worker) and Jeannie Andalacy Sprague (educational psychologist) delve into the motivation, design, and unique features of their training workbook, along with practical advice for parents introducing it at home.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Motivation for Creating the Workbook

• The authors, both mothers of teenagers, recognized the absence of accessible, effective materials to teach tweens and teens healthy smartphone habits.
• Technology has rapidly changed parenting, prompting a need for new guidance tools.
• Quote (Amy Adams, 03:30): “Necessity is the mother of invention… there wasn’t a lot out there to teach our children what to do with these phones. I remember thinking, well, I want someone just to tell me what to do. And then the thought popped into my head of like, well, maybe that's my job.”
  • The project began as a personal tool for their own families and evolved into a broader resource for the community.

2. Physical Book vs. Digital Course

• The team debated offering an online course but decided on a physical workbook for lasting value, accessibility, and philosophical alignment with their screen habits ethos.
• Physical resources serve as a tangible, “go-to” guide, referred to whenever needed. Children can add personal notes, making the book both interactive and meaningful.
• Quote (Jeannie, 06:33): “The online course format was very temporary… My daughter kept a particular book for reference… It was something that she could refer back to… This is what needs to happen.”

3. What Makes Healthy Screen Habits Workbook Unique

• The workbook is designed to be highly engaging—colorful, interactive, and hands-on, moving beyond just instruction to encourage genuine reflection and identity exploration.
• It covers not only the “do’s and don’ts” but helps kids examine who they are and how technology can support their goals and relationships, focusing on comprehensive development.
• Quote (Amy Adams, 09:37): “We really feel that ours is a comprehensive guide… It's really. We're super excited about that. In fact, that's how we start—just kind of asking them some basic questions about who they are before we even delve into anything with the phone.”
• Emphasis is placed on positive, research-backed guidance—steering clear of fear-based narratives.

4. Research & Credibility

• Backed by both scientific research and practical experience, the workbook includes extensive references.
• Quote (Hillary, 12:32): “We also have a strong background in science-based research… four pages of references and resources, scientific articles in the back.”

5. Approach to Mistakes and Growth

• Technology skill-building is framed similarly to driver’s education: essential, gradual, and often imperfect, with mistakes normalized as part of learning.
• The workbook includes sections on what to do when mistakes happen, fostering empowerment rather than shame.
• Quote (Amy Adams, 25:30): “This is not a doom and gloom book… If you can learn how to deal with it and navigate through these things, you can actually use your tech to really do wonderful things in the world.”

Practical Guidance and Notable Advice

6. How Parents Can Introduce the Workbook (18:34)

• Use the “driver’s ed” analogy: Kids aren’t always excited about required training, but recognize its necessity for their own safety and independence.
• Parents should familiarize themselves with the workbook first to facilitate better discussions.
• Value of maintaining open dialogue—emphasized as a key family value.
• Quote (Jeannie, 18:34): “We know that the teens are out there are not going to be searching for this book on their own. So parents are the ones that are going to be finding it and purchasing it… we encourage parents to look through it and get an understanding of it yourself before you hand it over to your child.”

7. Designing for All Learners (21:12)

• Visual appeal mirrors methods used by tech companies—colorful graphics and features that highlight key information for better retention.
• Special consideration for reading challenges: dyslexia-friendly font and larger size for better accessibility.
• Content is scaffolded to help reinforce and review concepts; language is simple, approachable, and designed for ages 11–15, but flexible.
• Quote (Jeannie, 22:45): “There are fonts that are specific to dyslexic brains, and I wanted to make sure that that was included… it’s about retaining the information as much as possible and making it easy to read through.”

Key Segment Timestamps

• 00:01–03:30: Introduction & the need for the workbook—authors’ motivation and backgrounds
• 06:13–08:27: Choosing physical resource over digital; why tangibility matters
• 09:37–12:32: The workbook’s holistic approach and whole-child focus
• 13:36–14:04: Positivity and research-backed advice
• 14:04–15:35: Workbook content—core habits, common mistakes, authentic guidance
• 18:34–21:12: Tips for parents to introduce the workbook and foster buy-in
• 21:12–24:39: Accessibility for different learning styles and needs
• 25:11–27:14: Authors’ vision for the book’s impact on kids and their tech use
• 28:45–31:10: Healthy Screen Habit Tip of the Week—“Put your phone to bed”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Normalizing Mistakes (00:01, Amy Adams):

  “We talk about mistakes, what to do when you've made mistakes, and we just want to normalize that. We want kids to feel empowered to use this as a tool… Our hope is that by really learning from this workbook and using the concepts, that will happen.”

• On Tangible Learning (06:33, Jeannie):

  “[Kids need] a resource that they can go back to, that they can refer to when they have a question. Just like a driver’s education manual for smartphones.”

• On Positive Framing (13:42, Amy Adams):

  “We come from a place of positivity… wanting kids to live their best lives with technology.”

Healthy Screen Habit Tip of the Week

(28:45–31:10)

Put Your Phone to Bed!

• Designate a consistent, early bedtime for all phones and devices.
• Dock all devices outside of bedrooms–preferably not in common areas like the kitchen, but where parents can monitor.
• Sleep deprivation is a pervasive problem with youth; even an idle phone in the bedroom disrupts sleep and impacts mental health.
• Quotes:
  • (Jeannie, 28:45): “Put your phone to bed, have a bedtime for your phone. Sleep being the number one reason.”
  • (Amy, 30:12): “…If I could give every child a gift, it would be to get a good night's rest. It will do wonders for your mental health, just that one habit alone.”

Closing Thoughts

The "Healthy Screen Habits Workbook for Tweens and Teens" stands out because it merges positivity, evidence-based practice, developmental psychology, and user-friendly design into a self-guided, interactive print resource. The authors’ authentic experiences as both parents and professionals shine through, offering hope and actionable support to families navigating the evolving digital landscape.

For resources, more episodes, or to purchase the workbook, visit healthyscreenhabits.org.